Hostage
by willnorm
Summary: Sookie wakes up in an unknown room in somebody's bed. She quickly assumes she has been kidnapped by vampire Eric, who knows a lot about her- more than even she knows about herself. To top it all off, she can't seem to remember him. Can Eric help Sookie regain her memories of what they shared together? How far is he willing to go to make her his again? Set after end of season 4.
1. Waking Up

**Hostage**

I woke up and immediately knew right off the bat that something was wrong.

The ceiling above me was not the same as I normally looked up at when I opened my eyes first thing in the morning. No, it looked all dank, cracked, and mouldy.

_Where on earth am I?_

My heart started beating faster and my hands felt all clammy as the fear began to settle in. I felt extremely... off. I felt as if I was suffering from a head cold, and my head began aching dully.

_Something is terribly wrong here!_

I sat up slowly, noticing that I was in a larger bed than the one I slept in at home in my Grandmother's house. The red sheets covering me were soft, made of luscious silk, definitely not like the cheap ones I had at home. My eyes darted around the room, taking in my surroundings. The room was very unfamiliar. It felt cold and airy. The curtains were drawn and no light was escaping in through the window. Either it was still dark out, or the curtains blocked it out that well. On the wall across from me was a huge-flat screen TV, there was a bookshelf to the right where I was on the bed, crammed with books and various DVDs. On the nightstand to the left of me there was a vase with beautiful white roses which I could smell from where I was laying.

_Good grief. What did I get up to last night?_

I thought back hard. I had knocked off work at the same time as usual and I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. I worked at Merlotte's Bar, where I waitressed and served people drinks and food, and last night it had mostly been the same as any other night. Dull, and uneventful. The only entertaining thing was listening into the customers thoughts, now and then. You see, I'm telepathic. I wasn't sure why, or how I came to have my disability - as I often called it- but it was something I've had to deal with ever since I can possibly remember. I recalled how happy I felt, how bursting with joy I was, to find that one of the waitresses who worked with me, Arlene, was pregnant with her third child. And that was all I could pretty much remember, as far as work went last evening. I was struggling.

I realized I couldn't remember ever reaching home. I couldn't remember kissing my Grandmother goodnight on the cheek, I couldn't remember getting dressed for bed. I plucked the sheets off my body, checking to see if I was still wearing my Merlotte's uniform. Holy Mary, Mother of Jesus. I wasn't. I wasn't wearing a bra. Hell, I wasn't even wearing underwear or socks. My heart went into overdrive when I noticed I was wearing a white, sleeveless nightgown made of silk, rather than my usual comfy flannelette pyjamas. When I brought my hand up to scrub at my face, it occurred to me also that somebody had untied my hair from its usual bun. _Someone had changed me out of my clothes and untied my hair!_

Panic startled to settle in wildly. Something was very, very wrong here.

I grabbed the sheet, holding it over my scarcely clad body, and swivelled my legs off the bed. The ground my bare toes touched was freezing, made of concrete. The bed made a little squeaking noise as I rose to my feet, looking around again fearfully. I wanted to look outside the window so that was where I was intending to head. But halfway through padding my way on the bare soles of my feet against the cold concrete to fulfil that mission, I heard somebody clear their throat hoarsely from over in the furthest corner of the room. All the tiny, fair hairs on the nape of my neck and on my arms stuck on end with the realization and I felt a surge of fear and confusion racing throughout my body.

_I am not alone._

Tightening the sheet over my body, I whipped my head around towards the person who had only just made their presence known, but it was really far too dark to see them clearly. I could only barely see the outline of their head and their tall, broad-shouldered silhouette against the lighter background of the wall. It was a man, I knew that much, because _no woman_ could look _that_ imposing and large. He was standing leaning against the wall, perfectly still, watching me.

In one swift movement that I caught, he was moving away from the wall and approaching closer to me. The shoes he was wearing scuffled gently against the concrete. I backed away a few steps, keeping my eyes on his form cautiously, while my hands tightened over the blanket covering me. I opened my mind to him, and much to my aggravation, I heard absolutely nothing. His thoughts I could not read, which was just funny.

_He had to have a brain like the rest of us, right?_

He went to stand directly in front of me, but I jumped back to create an even further distance between us. He stopped abruptly at that and I noticed him raise his hands in the air, in what I suppose was probably meant to be a calming gesture on me. It had the complete opposite effect of what he was most likely aiming for; I shuffled back until I felt my spine hit the wall behind me. I watched in terror as he started walking slowly towards me again and although I was completely and utterly petrified, I managed to throw the long blanket down on the floor. I was ready to fight, if need be. I got myself into a defensive stance, curling my hands into fists in front of me, watching the man like a hawk. He paused and stood perfectly still, as though waiting for me to make my move, or as if he was waiting for me to do _something_.

I felt tears gather in my eyes, which embarrassed me. Crying in front of this stranger was the very last thing I had wanted to do. I wanted to appear strong, not weak. I wanted to show him I would be willing to defend myself and fight him off. Then he turned slowly and walked back over to the wall opposite me again. I kept my eyes on him, still coiled and ready to strike.

Without warning, a light bulb flickered on harshly. I was blinded momentarily, but I was still in defence mode. I could see him now. His body was lean and long and muscular, frighteningly so, and his skin was pale. He was wearing a pair of tight blue denim jeans and a black, sleeveless shirt. The sleeveless shirt only made him more daunting; It showed off his thick, long arms that appeared very muscular and strong. From what I could see of his face, he had a strong jaw line, a strongly shaped nose, a dimpled chin, and his hair was a light blonde, short, combed back, sleek at the sides. His eyes were a piercing blue that peered into mine without a single blink. What surprised me the most was that he was fairly attractive and young. I don't know why I assumed an old, ugly man would have taken me, but usually, in movies, the bad men were always creepy looking. I suppose I just couldn't grasp why someone looking like this man did would have taken me.

I hadn't seen him before in my entire life. _So why was I here?_

He caught me looking and his eyes roamed slowly down my body, assessing my defensive stance. Then they shot down to my toes, up my exposed legs in the short nightgown I was wearing, and then all the way back up again. I looked away nervously, and that was when I noticed the door opposite me. It was made of steel, looked like, and I was fairly certain it had to be unlocked.

Without thinking, I bolted towards it at once, only belatedly remembering it was closest to the side that he was standing. In one easy movement he cut right in front of me, side-stepping and blocking my access to the door to get free. I stared him directly in the eye helplessly as he started walking again forward slowly, real close to me. I got the unpleasant feeling of being a mouse cornered by its prey, and when I backed into the wall again, it happened beyond my control, as everything slowly sunk in.

_He wasn't intending to let me go! He was keeping me here!_

I started sobbing uncontrollably, but I kept my fists raised and ready for all it was worth.

I sucked in a deep breath and let it all out. "What the hell do you want from me?" I asked, using all my might to keep my voice strong and firm. "Who are you, and what're you doing holding me here?"

"Sssh," I heard him simply say, trying to soothe me as if you would a crying baby.

"What do you want?" I choked out loudly. "Are you going to kill me?"

He placed his hands on either side of the wall around me and I whimpered at his close proximity.

"No, Sookie. I am not going to hurt you. Ever," he whispered. His voice was very low, very deep. "Look at me, please."

_Oh, God! He knows my name! How?_

Courage came to me again and I managed to lift my chin to look him dead-on in the eyes. They were filled with sadness and wariness. It stunned me for a moment over why he would look so heartbroken.

"I will never harm you," he assured me again, with a voice that was shaky and profound with emotion. "I promise. The reason I have you here, in this room, is not because I want to harm you in any way, lover."

_Lover?_

I stared at him incredulously, feeling my mouth tighten. Was he kidding? Lover? What the fuck?

All of a sudden he slid one hand off the wall near my shoulder and brought it towards my face. I recoiled involuntarily. "I don't want you to fear me. I will not harm you, and when I say something like that, you can rest assured that I mean it. I am a man of my word."

His fingers were that close to touch me, but I slapped the back of his hand away roughly with all my might. There was no way in hell that I was going to let him touch me. My hands tightened into fists at my sides and I started trembling because I was growing cold in the nightgown. Then it hit me. He had changed me himself. He had taken off my bra and underwear! What had he done to me?

Anger flared in me violently. I didn't like the idea of some random psycho dressing me up like a doll and putting me in his bed. I looked him straight in the eye, feeling my face bunch up with fury, as I hissed:

"Where are my clothes and why the hell did you feel it right to change me out of them?"

"You couldn't exactly sleep in them, could you? They didn't look very comfortable."

"Right, so you put me in this sexy little outfit because my other clothes didn't look comfortable enough, did you?" I shouted angrily. "You expect me to believe that? What did you do to me while I was sleeping, huh? You took off my bra and my panties!" He went to touch me again with his hand, but I slapped it back, harder than before. "Don't touch me! I'm going home!"

I started to cross the room in a huff, but I only reached the steel door until I felt his hands on my upper arms, holding me back tightly.

"No, no," he muttered under his breath. "You don't get to leave. This isn't how it is going to happen. Not this way, Sookie. This is going to go my way, do you understand?"


	2. Loving Stranger

**Chapter Two**

**SPOV**

I struggled against his grip on my arms and tried to wriggle out of them towards the door but he spun me around easily and held me tightly to his chest. He was stronger than me. Far, far stronger. Still, I fought him with all the strength I had. I kicked him in the shins with my bare feet, I used my fingernails to claw at him, but it didn't make much difference to him anyway. After a moment, I sagged in defeat and exhaustion against him, realizing there was no way in hell of wrestling my way out of the situation when it came to this psycho. The truth of this turned my anger into sadness. I wasn't strong at all when it came to him. I was weak and powerless. I began sobbing again and I couldn't stop for the life of me.

"Oh, no! Please, lover. Please don't cry," he whispered when he felt my body tremble. "I won't hurt you. You are safe with me, I promise. If only you remembered how I won't hurt you."

"Please, just let me the fuck go already! Please!" I begged shakily and I forced myself to look up into his eyes pleadingly. "I won't tell anyone about this! Please just let me go!"

"I can't do that, Sookie. Ask me to do anything, but that," he answered softly.

His left arm was still wrapped around me, holding me tightly to him, while his other hand came up to the side of my face. He touched my hair tentatively with his fingers. He looked deeply into my eyes in a somewhat tender and gentle way, and then those eyes flickered to my mouth. Then with some reluctance, he released me from his hold, stepped back a notch, and he took in a deep, unsteady breath as if to calm himself. Then nothing happened after that. We just stood there, and it became self-consciously aware to me that I was the only one who was breathing loudly. I couldn't hear the man breathing at all. I attempted to open my mind to him again, heard nothing but silence all over again. I hadn't experienced anything like it ever before. Evidently whatever the man was, he was not your average human.

That scared me even more. It meant I had no idea ahead of time what he was intending to do with me. I really was in a hopeless situation here. Depression settled in thickly. But something else also came to the surface; This little nagging pressure in my abdomen which made me squirm and want to cross my legs.

"What's wrong?" he asked confusedly.

_Everything, you psycho! Thanks to you, everything is wrong! _

"I... I have to go to the bathroom," I confessed hesitantly.

His eyes softened and he chuckled gently. "Oh, of course."

I watched him cautiously as he walked around the side of the bed towards the nightstand. He reached down, grabbed something, and came back towards me. He was holding a man's unfurled, long patterned tie in his hands. It was immediately obvious what he was intending to do with it.

"Hold out your arms," he commanded me quietly.

My whole body resisted against doing it. "What?" I asked out loud in outrage. "You're going to tie me up? All I need to do is get to the bathroom!"

He sighed loudly and I suppose I had made him very impatient. I whimpered accidentally as he took hold of my hands and he pulled them straight out towards him. Then using the tie, he fastened it around my wrists. It was just tight enough that I could feel the material squeezing into my skin.

"This isn't necessary," I said nervously. "I think I've established now I can't fight you off to escape. I'm not gonna try anything!"

"This is just a simple precaution, lover," he explained to me, while looking solemn. "Once you've gained my trust and I know that you are one-hundred percent trustworthy, I won't be doing this again. However, for the time being, whenever you leave this room you will be tied. I have already lost you once, and I am not foolish enough to risk losing you again."

_What? He's already lost me once? What the hell is he talking about?_

"Come on. I'll show you the way."

He took hold of my wrists in his hands tightly and guided me towards the steel door. His hands felt rough, the skin dry and cold. This time, I didn't bother try fighting him off. I felt too drained, too weak. I know fighting against him was fruitless now. He opened the latch on the door and steered me out of it slowly. I took an instant investigation of my surroundings outside the room I was in. There was a narrow hallway with polished floorboards and right at the end of it, there were two doors on left and right. There were several photo frames on the walls along the hallway. One was a picture of a blonde-haired woman and a man smiling happily and posing like a married couple. My eyes felt too wet and blurry to see the faces properly. Once we reached the end of the hallway, he opened the door on the right side. This was clearly the bathroom.

"It's okay," the man said to me gently, probably sensing my fears. "The bathroom is in here. Take however long you want in there. I'll be waiting right out here until you're finished."

"Please don't come in there with me!" I pleaded.

His eyes widened. "No, of course not. I'll give you privacy, of course."

That made me feel tons better then. There was no way in hell I would let this guy see me pee or do my business.

I inched my way past him, holding my hands out as I entered the room. I looked around again. The bathroom was nicely decorated and sparkling white, from the tiles down to the sink and bathtub. I also noticed that the window was sealed with what looked like plastic wrap to block off any light as well, exactly as the room I had woken up in was. Why was this guy so adamant on blocking out the daylight? I turned to shut the door on myself with some effort; My hands wouldn't separate enough to close over the doorknob. The man watched me as I struggled to close it with the way my wrists were bound together, and I suppose he took pity on me. Understanding slowly etched across his face, and he gave me an encouraging smile as he stepped forward to close it for me.

The instance the door was closed and I was alone by myself, I felt all the tension immediately leave my body. I couldn't seem to stop trembling, no matter how hard I tried. My mind was reeling.

Who on earth was this guy, and what did he want from me? I hadn't seen him before in my entire life, he was beyond any recognition whatsoever. Yet, why did he keep calling me that name? Lover? How did he even come to know _my_ name? I glanced back at the door, praying he wouldn't come in to check on me. Then I went over to the sealed off window. I tried to peel off the seal with my fingernails, but it was stuck on with some type of glue. I choked back a sob. No escaping. I couldn't do anything. A little wobbly, I crouched over the toilet seat and did my business in what felt like record time. It was horrifying to take in again that I wasn't wearing any underwear. He had changed me out of my Merlotte's uniform sometime while I was still asleep. It didn't seem as if he had done anything to me but I couldn't be certain, and that was scariest of all.

_Please oh please don't let him have done anything to me!_

After I managed to flush the button, there came a light knock on the bathroom door that made me jump.

"Lover, is everything alright in there?"

_Oh, God. Please let this be a dream. Please._

There was no lock on the bathroom door so he could have literally came in anytime he desired. I was trapped.

"Lover? Please answer me."

He knocked again insistently.

"Lover, I am opening the door now, okay?"

_No, fuck off! Stay away!_

I heard the brass doorknob being turned and then the guy poked his head in through the gap.

"Sookie? Is everything alright?"

"What the hell do you think?" I snapped, without thinking. "No, everything is not alright. What, you expect me to pretend everything is hunky-dory despite the fact you've kidnapped me?"

I thought I had really gone and done it. He pushed through the door and I made my hands tighten into fists despite the fact they were restrained by the tie.

"What do you want from me?" I demanded shakily. "Is this about money?"

"Lover," he whispered softly in a scolding tone, like I was being ridiculous by assuming that. It was a reasonable assumption to make in my view. "This isn't about money. I just want my Sookie back."

Anger flared in me lethally again. I so would have loved to beat the crap out of him.

"Your Sookie?" I spat out derisively through my teeth. "I am not your Sookie, buster. You don't even know me, and I don't even know you!"

"How about I make you a drink?" he suggested, ignoring me easily. "I know you find iced tea very soothing."

My stomach lurched. How the hell did he know I like iced tea, especially after a stressful day? Had he been watching me?

"H-How?" I asked, warily. "Have you been watching me?"

_Just brilliant. The guy was a stalker._

"I know everything about you. Your name is Sookie Michelle Stackhouse, and you're telepathic. You are twenty-four years old. You're also part-fairy, and you're the most entertaining spitfire I know. You have also been the one that has restored my faith in humanity, and you have also taught me how to love and be tender."

"Oh, God," I moaned weakly. I felt ill. So, the guy knew a lot about me, maybe even more than I knew about myself? How was that possible?

"My name is Eric Northman," he continued, after a beat.

Huh. So he had just told me his name. He wasn't just an anonymous creepy guy anymore. He was Eric, the Creepy Guy.

"Why did you tell me that?" I asked, surprised. "You shouldn't have told me your name. 'Cause the instance I get out of here, I could easily turn you in!"

"Sookie, you're not going to turn me in," he said, and he sounded very certain of that. "After this is all finished, you won't want to. You'll want the complete opposite."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just shrugged.

"Can I get out of here now?" I asked flatly, flailing my hands vacantly around the bathroom to get my point across.

"Of course you can." It was the same process as before. He grabbed my wrists by curling his big fingers around each of them and steering me out, like I was a prisoner and he was my controller, my captor; Which, in a sense, that was actually true. He had control, he ultimately made the decision on whether I live or die.

I just hope he'll choose the former of the two.

"I'll make you some iced tea," he offered out of nowhere. So, like an actress, I decided I would try to play along, however long it takes.

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**So what do you think? Thanks so much for your alerts and reviews, they mean the world to me. Hoping you will enjoy this story. What do you think of Eric? Creepy, or does he seem like he has an underlying reason for it? We will find out what has happened soon, and why Eric recognizes Sookie yet she doesn't with him. :-)**

**Love to hear your thoughts x**


	3. Fear

**Thanks so much guys, I was very shocked! You're all so lovely, hope you enjoy this one!**

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**Chapter Three**

Back in the room, while he was busy unfastening the tie from my wrists with his dexterous fingers, I looked him over carefully while I had the chance, and knew I wouldn't be caught out. He was _very_ easy on the eyes. He looked like a GQ model, as bad as that was to think about someone holding me prisoner, but I couldn't help thinking that way. You can't control what you think about somebody. He appeared as if he was biting down on the tip of his tongue, while he got to work. He looked cool and composed on the facial front, but the tell-tale sign was there in the way his fingers shook and fumbled. He probably hadn't kidnapped somebody before. I told myself I wouldn't be making it easy on him. I was fully determined to give him hell over this.

I still didn't understand his motivations into holding me in this room the way he was. He had revealed to me that it wasn't about money, so obviously I wasn't being held by him for ransom. In all things considered, that was a very good thing then: My family wasn't exactly poor, but we did struggle to make ends meet. If this man had demanded too much money, I wasn't so sure how my Grandmother would have been able to afford it to get me back. So I would have literally been stuck.

I opened my mind again, although I was beginning to realize it was useless. Just like before, I got the same results, which was pretty much nil. I didn't get a slither of his thoughts in, and I couldn't be sure why. Usually, everybody was so easy for me to read, even if they weren't the loudest of broadcasters. Obviously there was something different about this man.

"You know I'm a telepathic," I observed quietly. "I don't know how you knew that, but you do. Do you also know that I can't hear your thoughts? Do you also happen to know why it is that I can't?"

He didn't answer me at first. He was preoccupied with untying my hands, but once he did, he gave me his full attention. His icy-blue eyes circled over my face warily. "I am vampire, Sookie," he answered, a little reluctantly. "But you already know that."

I already knew it? I didn't, though. I really, really didn't.

I accidentally gasped. I had heard about vampires coming out of the coffin two years ago, but I hadn't had the excitement of meeting one. Now, here he was, the first vampire I had ever met and been in close contact with. I felt the complete opposite of excitement. No, I felt horrified. Mainly it was due to the fact that he had kidnapped me.

A shudder rippled through me, and I wrapped my arms around myself. My captor sensed I was cold, it seemed, because he strode briskly over to a set of dressers I hadn't noticed yet. He brought out a long coat, and it looked very warm. It was cranberry red, with a removable liner, a detachable hood, and tortoiseshell buttons. He shook it out and crossed back over toward me to stand behind me, helping me slide it on. Thankfully, I slid my bare arms in and the sleeves weren't over-sized, like I was expecting. I was shocked to find the coat seemed to fit me perfectly, from the sleeves, right down to the size. When he slipped in front of me to help button it up, it appeared as if the coat was strictly made for me. Did this vampire know something so mundane as the size of my clothes? Did he know everything else about me then, too?

"Feel better now that you're warmer?" he asked, sounding rather breathless as he stepped back a notch to examine me in the jacket. He looked very wistful, appreciative, over me wearing the coat. I couldn't tell why, until he said, with a short laugh, "I've always been fond of you in that jacket. Seeing you in it makes me crave fucking with you."

There was no denying I did feel better and warmer. The jacket was just thick enough that it kept me warm of the constant chill in the room. But since the jacket only reached my waist, as jackets usually do, it left my legs uncovered in the nightgown underneath. The concrete on my bare feet also was almost intolerable. I needed some socks, or my trainers.

"Where did you put my work uniform?" I asked suspiciously. I hoped he hadn't thrown it out.

He pointed over to the drawer where he had produced the warm jacket for me. "In here, where all your other things are," he explained softly. "Your clothes are in there. Most of your belongings are, lover. You leave them here, when you stay-over the night."

I didn't really believe him, but I checked, just to be sure. I walked over to the set of drawers and pulled them out, one by one. Much to my surprise, he was right: My Merlotte's uniform that consisted of a white tee and black shorts were neatly folded in the top drawer. There was also a pair of white socks, as well as various sets of underwear and bras. With uneasiness, I noticed some underwear were racy and revealing lace, black and red thongs. Would I really wear such provocative things? I never knew I was the type of girl. Opening the lower drawers, I noticed one of my favorite dresses that I loved to wear at Gran's house, a sleeveless floral printed halter neck, was folded in there, along with various other dresses I loved to wear out and about after my shifts at work. Why were all my clothes in there? Why weren't they at home in my Gran's house? _Unless he somehow-_

I turned to look at my captor in a challenging manner, placing my hands on my hips. He was already looking at me, watching me with some apprehension, as if he was concerned over what my reaction might be to all of this.

"How did all my clothes get in here?" I demanded. "Did you take them from my Grandmother's home?"

"Your Grandmother's home?" he repeated loudly. His eyebrows rose. "Sookie, you haven't lived in your Grandmother's house for a little over two years now. You sold her house, don't you remember? We had agreed on this, since you no longer had reason to live there, that this was best. Living together was best. You really don't remember?"

_Ha_.. he was tricking me, I could tell. I remembered everything. I still lived with my Grandmother, I wouldn't have moved out or sold the house on her. I especially wouldn't have moved in with this stranger and lived here, under this roof, in this room that was so cold and blocked off from any source of daylight. I just wouldn't have!

I didn't know what to say in response to that. I couldn't figure out what to say. I knew what I wanted to say, but it would risk me breaking down completely. Breaking down and crying in front of him was the very last thing I wanted to do. I didn't want to show my vulnerabilities to him, show him that he was winning in scaring me, so I ignored him, best I could. With quiet resolve, I went to sit down on the large bed, turning my back on him. The soles of his shoes going at it with that scuffling warned me in advance, and I whirled around to face him, just at the right moment. He was standing right in front of me, his hands raised midway in the air. I could tell he was tempted to touch me, maybe as a way of either consoling me or caressing me.

"Don't you dare," I warned him, in the strongest voice I could muster. "I don't want you anywhere near me. Why can't you just let me go free?"

"I can't," he whispered gently. "What would letting you go accomplish?"

Hmm, I could think of a million reasons why letting me go was a very smart idea. "This is wrong, what you're doing," I told him. "You can't keep me here like this. Just what do you want from me? You said this isn't about money, but then... what? What else is there that you're wanting from me?"

He looked conflicted then. Conflicted and very sad.

"Look, lover. I have to go to work now for a few hours," he said slowly. "I hope you'll be fine until I return and, once I do, I will try to explain everything then."

I knew what that truly meant. It meant that he was leaving me alone, locked away in this cold room for a few hours. Honestly, I wanted to be away from this man for as long as humanly possible. I really needed time on my own to think. I was stuck on how I was going to get out of this alive. But that wasn't good enough. Anger rose in me lethally. I was mad. Very, very mad. So what? He would leave me here without any ounce of understanding into why? Well, over my damned dead body.

"No!" I said, my voice just short of a yell. "You don't get to leave yet! Tell me why you've taken me here!"

"I can't. Not now. Time is short."

Before I realized what I was doing, I slapped him. It felt extraordinary for one moment, before he retaliated without warning. Within the blink of an eye, he grabbed me by my shoulders and threw me backwards. I landed on the mattress behind me, and then he was on top of me, retraining me down. Was he raping me? It seemed like he was going to, so I fought. I fought with all my might. I hit every part of him I could find. I grabbed, yanked and pulled, but after a while, he seized my wrists with seemingly little effort and clasped them over my head against the pillow. The muscles in his body shifted as he held me down underneath him. I used my voice then. I screamed as loud as I possibly could.

"Let me go!" I wailed, bucking my knees in the attempt to throw him off. "Don't rape me, please!"

We were both breathing pretty loudly from the fight, but he clearly had more stamina than I did. He leaned down, pressed his mouth against my forehead, muttering to me softly pleas into my skin.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I am not going to rape you. I'll never hurt you." He said that, over and over. "I just want you to eventually remember, Sookie."

**Hope this one was okay? :P As you've worked out, Sookie has lost her memory. How will be revealed very soon. I loved hearing your thoughts, thank you!**


	4. Revelations

**Hoping you guys enjoy this one :) Thanks so much for your thoughts. It means the world to me!**

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**Chapter Four**

He left me in the room again for a few minutes, while he went off to do something.

I was left feeling as clueless as before, despite the small bit of information he had given me. Apparently, we lived together. I had moved out of my Grandmother's house, I had even sold it, and I was now living with this vampire in this cold room, where the sunlight was blocked out. I still didn't understand why he had plastic wrap covering the windows like he did, but when I thought it over some more, I think I about realized why.

Of _course! He was a vampire!_

What little I knew about them when they had come out two years ago, I knew that sunlight was dangerous to them. It burned their skin, maybe even turned them straight into ash. Maybe that was why? But I sure as hell wasn't a vampire myself, and I had always loved the sunlight. I loved the feel of it on my skin. One of my favourite hobbies was lying around sunbathing. So why would I have wanted to settle down with a vampire? It was just like polar opposites. He couldn't stand the sun, while I loved it. Since when would I have gotten with a vampire? And why would I have felt it necessary to leave my Grandmother's house? Even sell it?

Pondering for answers made me feel as if I was starting to go crazy. So, with some effort, I tried to distract myself instead, rather than stressing. I strolled over to the big bookshelf that housed DVDs and various thick paperback novels. Some of my favourite DVDs and books were stacked on it: Gone With the Wind, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Pretty Woman, to name a few DVDs. How funny. First, I discover all my clothes are in the drawers. Next, I discover some of my favourite DVDs were on the shelves? Maybe we did live together, after all. Perhaps this vampire wasn't playing me like a fiddle or was lying about it.

There was a slow knock on the steel door, and then he entered holding a tray with food and a long glass of iced tea. The ice shards in the glass rattled gently as he moved towards the bed. He set it down on the nightstand and turned to look at me. He had changed out of his casual outfit of jeans and a sleeveless shirt, and exactly like before, I found myself admiring his looks in a way that made me feel terrible. He was wearing a charcoal grey suit that looked dashing on him. It was awful of me, and I couldn't understand why I felt such a reaction towards him. It should have been the other way around; I shouldn't have felt physically attracted to the guy, I should have felt repulsed and angry due to the fact he was keeping me locked away here inside this room. Why did I feel this way?

"Sit down," he ordered, pointing to the bed. Since I didn't know what else to do, I did as directed, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I've made you your iced tea, as you enjoy it. I have also made you some dinner. I'm not exactly the best cook in the world, but I do know how to use a microwave. I just heated that shit up, but hopefully it'll be edible." He sounded a bit embarrassed.

I looked at the tray myself. I hadn't the slightest clue what the food was. It looked runny, and gloopy, like tomato soup straight from the can. Evidently the guy didn't know how to cook one bit. The iced tea looked far more appealing, and I didn't realize how thirsty I was until I noticed my mouth felt dry and parched at the sight of the glass. I stretched out my arm to take the glass in my hand, and it felt refreshingly cold against my skin. It was peach flavour, my favourite. I still didn't understand how he knew so much about me, when I knew so little about him. He hadn't given me many answers to work with.

He sat down next to me, leaving a bit of space between us on the bed that made me very grateful for. He didn't say anything; He simply stared down at his hands as he clasped them in front of his lap. His mouth was compressed into a tight line.

"Thank you," I said quietly, and it took me a lot of pride to say it. "I can't remember how long it has been since I've drunk or ate anything. But iced tea is my favourite."

He peered over at me. "I know it is. There are three flavours of iced tea that you like best. Strawberry, lime, and peach. But you've always preferred peach the most and, you especially prefer it with ice and mint leaves."

_Wow. Hasn't he done his homework?_

"And how do you know that?" I asked, working to keep my voice calm. I just couldn't understand why it was that he knew everything about me, and I knew nothing about him. Then again, that was stalkers for you, wasn't it? I was about to take a sip, until it occurred to me that he was watching me intently while I raised the glass to my lips. It felt a suspicious way of looking at me, one that unnerved me. Oh, God. Had he poisoned the drink? Slipped some sedative in there, maybe? Sighing heavily, I rested the glass against my left kneecap. "Have you slipped a drug in this? Some sedative to get me to sleep or something?"

He made a low noise at the back of his throat at me, as if I had offended him by asking that or something. I went on hurriedly.

"Because, if you have, I would very much like you to tell me this instance. I don't appreciate being drugged."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Sookie, I haven't drugged it. It would be a very pointless thing of me to do, as I have no reason to do it. As I've said before, I have no intentions of hurting you. This is simply about catering to your needs. Besides," he added, shrugging, "I've done this for you nearly over twenty times now. And not once, during those times, have I slipped any dangerous drug into your iced tea. Why would I start now?"

It was a valid point well made. But I still wasn't sure whether I believed him. I didn't want to risk it. Although he looked nothing but sincere, I still felt some mistrust twanging away in my gut.

"If that's true, then you drink some first, just to assure me that you haven't," I bargained, with hope. "Otherwise I'm not gonna drink it, until I know for sure."

"I can't drink it," he protested, a little impatiently. "It is not possible for me. As I said, I am vampire. I do not consume the things you do. I have different... dietary needs, completely different from you. You are just going to have to trust me, lover."

I thought that over for a moment. I also knew vampires drank synthetic blood, True Blood, that the Japanese had invented for them. Was that what he was trying to say? He couldn't digest so much as a tiny sip of iced tea? It was only a sip, though. Surely one small sip wouldn't have killed him, would it?

"But that's the thing," I muttered stiffly. "I don't trust you. So why the hell should I risk drinking it?" He swore quietly underneath his breath in frustration. His mouth set into a grim line. He sure looked very angry, but I didn't care if I was irritating him, with all my questions and displays of mistrust. Too bad. It wasn't my fault. "Even with what you said... about me moving in here with you, if I did, then why can't I remember that? As far as I can remember... I still lived with my Grandmother. I can't ever remember anything about you; I can't remember any parts involving you. Why can't I remember? Why is everything so... blank inside my head?"

"What is it that you remember?" he asked, somewhat anxiously.

"All that I just said to you, is all that I'm able to remember," I told him fiercely, trying not to grit my teeth. Now I felt all irritated myself. "I can't remember anything about you, or about me being with you, in this house, like this. I just remember... going to work one evening and I remember I would come home to Gran afterwards. That's about it."

He was silent for several moments. I thought he was thinking what I had just confessed to him over deeply. He looked broody and thoughtful; He rubbed around his chin with his fingers pensively. After a beat, he shifted slightly on the bed to look at me questioningly. The white collar of the shirt he was wearing underneath the grey jacket was hanging loosely undone; He hadn't fastened most of the buttons up. I saw a lot of his chest and throat muscles, as well as smatterings of curly chest hair; There was a lot to see of him... Embarrassed over the way my eyes were straying inappropriately, I closed them. Why was I having difficulty feeling the way I should about this situation? I was being ridiculous.

"So, everything else is beyond your recollection? Us? This room?"

"Yes," I confessed, a bit louder than I had intended to speak. "I don't remember you at all! If we know each other somehow, I don't recall anything regarding that. I feel like you're kidnapping me. It's why I'm reacting the way I am."

"I am not kidnapping you, Sookie." His voice was quiet, serious. "This isn't kidnapping, when this is your home. This is our home. We live here, together. We have spent many wonderful nights here together. You have spent many days waking in this very room, with me right beside you, in this bed." He patted the mattress loudly with his hand to emphasise that. "We have been in a committed relationship for a year now. Those days and hours were the very best of my life, because I was sharing them with you." I was flabbergasted by how vehement his voice was, how intense. "In fact, we have spent countless hours making glorious love together in this very bed you are sitting on."

I felt my face flood with heat at that comment. Huh. So I wasn't a virgin anymore.

"Then why can't I remember anything?" I asked him, desperately. It was the thing that annoyed me most of all. I couldn't understand why everything was so blank, for the life of me. And judging by the way he was telling me about the relationship we had apparently had together, it would seem it had been a very wonderful and affectionate relationship between us.

"I don't know if this will help any, but maybe it might restore your memory and make you more trusting of me a bit." Eric stood and walked over to the big bookshelf for a moment. He searched around, until he found a book. It was very thick looking, with a hard cover. When he crossed back over to me, he placed it carefully on the space of the bed between us. It wasn't only until he sat down and made himself comfortable, that he explained what the book was. "This is our photo album," he said breathlessly, tapping the hardcover with his knuckles. "We took many photos together. Some were from right here, relaxing at home, in this bed. Others were while we went away on short vacations."

I reached over to sit the iced tea back onto the tray. Then I grabbed the photo album and opened it, bemused. And surely enough, he was right. There was a heck of a lot of photos in here. There was a lot of ones taken by either myself or him, while we lounged around in bed together, canoodling. In one picture that made me flush with heat, I was in his arms and we were covered by the sheets of the bed. I looked filled with joy with a huge smile on my face, while Eric was making a smouldering face into the lenses of the camera with his fangs extended. We both looked flushed and glowing with sweat, as if we had only just had sex a few moments before the picture was taken.

I felt the mattress depress as Eric scooted over close to my side to look at the pictures himself. He flicked that one with his fingernail.

"In that photo, we had just gotten together officially," he explained gently. "I had wanted you the very first moment I saw you when you entered my bar, but you were already another vampires human. That vampires name, was Bill Compton." He said the name as if it had left a lingering foul taste on the tip of his tongue. "And, in that picture, that was the defining moment where I finally succeeded in getting you." He sounded rather proud of himself, I thought. "You had just ended things with Bill, claiming that you wanted me instead. We had made love, right here, in this room. It was the most fulfilling moment, having you in my arms at last."

I felt red as a lobster over his passionate commentary. But who was Bill Compton? The question was on the tip of my tongue, but I decided to let it slip. I was too damn curious about the photos. I flipped open the next page, and there was a less embarrassing picture of us, standing huddled together with the Eiffel Tower behind us in the photograph. The tower was lit up like a Christmas tree, and it was evidently night. I heard myself gasp loudly.

"We went to Paris?" I asked, feeling overwhelmed.

"We did," he confessed, with a short and wistful chuckle. "You had said Paris was the 'City of Love'. I thought it was only fitting I took my lover there."

I hummed softly, as I flipped through the album again. Hmmm, more pictures of us in bed. There was a picture of me in the bathtub, too. I looked very disgruntled, and my left leg was perched on the side of the tub. I had been caught-out in the middle of shaving; I could see the razor in my hand, and everything.

"You were very angry that I took that picture," Eric explained with humour. "I barged into the bathroom and you threatened to stake me if I didn't stop taking pictures of you. You didn't particularly enjoy me taking pictures of you naked."

I felt my eyes brim over with tears. A big aching lump formed in my throat, and it was difficult to swallow it down. We looked so happy in the photographs together, so radiant with joy and love. Why couldn't I remember anything? Was I whacked in the head or something? I just couldn't understand why I had no memories of us, like in the photos.

"We looked very happy," I observed sadly.

"Oh, we were," Eric said, and he reached over to brush my hair away from the side of my face with the back of his knuckles gently. I couldn't help shivering. "Those were the happiest nights of my existence."

"But why can't I remember them?" I asked him, frustration spilling out with the words.

Eric stared at me for a moment. I thought he looked very pained by that question.

Slowly, he turned his head to look back down at his hands. He twiddled his fingers out in front of him. "There was an accident, lover," he began, his voice thick and reluctant. "You crashed your car one evening while you were driving here after finishing your latest shift at work. You suffered extensive head trauma, and the doctor said it was likely that some of your memories would be impaired. Obviously, the memories experienced with me were some of those. It is why you are unable to remember certain things, Sookie. Amnesia." He sighed heavily through his nostrils. "For example: The main reason you agreed to move into this house with me, the main reason you felt comfortable putting your Grandmother's house on the market, was because she no longer lived with you."

I felt my face scrunch up. "Why doesn't Gran live with me anymore?"

"Because she is dead, Sookie. She died one evening, while you were still Bill's human. She was murdered. I am very sorry to cause you pain by admitting that, but it is the truth. I won't withhold anything from you."

Well, shit.

**Was this one okay? Bad? Silly?**

**At least we know now why Sookie can't remember anything... Thanks so much for reading. I'm absolutely loving your thoughts, please keep them coming! x**


	5. Wanting to be Lovers Again

**Thanks so much guys. Your responses made my day! I hope you enjoy this chapter! x**

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**Chapter Five**

I wrapped my arms around myself on the bed and brought my knees up to my chest, trying to win the battle in not breaking down. It was a battle quickly lost; Before I knew it, I broke down into full-blown sobs. I felt utterly overwhelmed by everything.

Everything I thought and believed about this horrible situation, was wrong.

He wasn't kidnapping me. The reason he had me here was far from it: It wasn't for ransom, and he wasn't some psycho. No, we had been in a relationship. The photos were evidence enough, although I couldn't recall a single thing about them. This was my home all along, I had moved in with this undead person somewhere along the line, but I just couldn't remember that.

I no longer lived with my Grandmother. She was dead. She had been murdered.

Apparently, I was in a car-crash. I had suffered some type of trauma to the head that made me forget most things. I was probably missing around two years of my life, but I couldn't be certain on that.

The reason I still felt attracted to the man sitting beside me on the bed that had made me feel downright terrible with myself, I realized now, was probably because I had been attracted to him before the accident took place. We had appeared happy and in-love in the photos. I had loved the man once. We had been happy. But could I grow to love him again? Could I restart all over again, building new memories? The uncertainty gnawed in me as I peeked over at the man. He was giving me a look filled with both apprehension and sadness.

How hard was this on him? To know the girl he once was content with didn't remember a single thing about the time they had shared together? I felt even worse for him than I did for myself.

Without warning, he shifted on the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around me. It took the wind out of me, because I sure wasn't expecting that from him. He thrust my head underneath his chin, holding me to him with strength. "Please don't cry," he murmured into my hair, his voice anguished. "Things will get better. We'll move past this eventually."

I was struck with doubt. Would we really be able to move past this? Would things really get better in time?

"I hate this," I said weakly, burying my face into his neck. His skin was cold. It even had a remotely salty smell to it. "I don't understand what is happening here, and it kills me that I can't. And Gran... she's dead, and I can't even remember that." That ruined me most of all. I couldn't even remember Gran dying! I was still under the impression that I was living with her, underneath our old house. It was far from it, obviously. "Did we have a nice funeral for her? Did I attend?"

"I am sure you would have," he whispered.

It hurt me to ask it, but I just had to know. "How'd she die? Did they catch who did it?"

"She was murdered. They arrested the person who did it. He had hatred in his heart at those who associated with vampires. That is as far as I know."

I felt my heart swell with relief over that. Well, at least they had caught the person who did it. What a sick bastard.

"Gran never associated with vampires," I sobbed. "At least, of what I remember of her, she hadn't. But she accepted them. So why would they feel it right to kill her?"

His hands slid on the top of my shoulders and he pushed me back gently to look at me. He shook his head, that anguish still there in his expression. "It was because you were with Bill, at the time. The man responsible had wanted to kill you, but your Grandmother was there instead."

My heart clenched painfully. "Oh, Jesus," I whispered sadly. "They were aiming to kill me, but my Gran got in the way?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Eric whispered hoarsely. "But she died fighting for her life. She didn't give it up easily."

Just when I had thought I had learned enough... something else came along to wound me terribly. Gran was murdered, all because of me. The murderer had aimed to kill me, but got to my Grandmother first instead. It was all my fault. Gran had died because of me.

I rested my forehead on top of my knees and wrapped my arms around myself so I wouldn't have to look at him anymore. This was all way too much. How could I have continued living, knowing I was the reason my Grandmother got murdered? How could I have been so unknowingly selfish?

There was still so many things I didn't understand. Like what happened to me after the accident.

I sucked in a deep breath, to sort of regulate my breathing and calm myself from crying even more. I couldn't stop crying though, for the life of me, and big fat tears kept on rolling. This was like a terrible nightmare I had just only woken up to. One that wouldn't stop and end with all the awful surprises.

"Sookie," I heard the man sigh heavily, and I felt the mattress depress as he sank off it to kneel next to me on the concrete floor. "I know everything is hard now. But you will eventually get through this to the other side. You always do, because that is the type of person that you are."

His hands grasped mine and he pulled them down away from my face. He held them in my lap gently.

"You are an unbelievably strong person, lover. You are strong and courageous. You are able to see the brighter side of any given situation. This is all that I've known and learned to appreciate about the old Sookie. She fights her battles, and she refuses to lose. She refuses to let her troubles beat her down and get the best of her." He stroked the back of my hand with his cold fingertips. "I know the old Sookie is still in there somewhere. You just have to believe and not lose hope."

His confidence in me was touching. But it only made me feel a billion more times depressed and helpless.

"You've got me here," I sniffed. "You know what happened to me, with the accident and everything that happened in my life before all this. I can't recall a single thing. You know I can't remember various things, especially events concerning us. So why would you bother holding me here? Why wouldn't you just give up?"

I stared down at him through my wet eyes, hoping for an answer.

Evidently he didn't know how to respond, because he didn't say anything. He simply stared down at my hands, while he caressed the backs of them with his fingers. He looked tortured- vulnerable.

I tried again. "Why did you bother bringing me back here, when you knew it was likely I couldn't remember anything?" I asked, with a little more force. "You say you aren't kidnapping me, but you haven't given me any reason not to feel that way? You tied me up, you're keeping me locked in here. Isn't that the same thing as kidnapping somebody?"

"I don't want to lose you again," he finally answered, without looking up at me. "I need you here with me. This is where you belong, with me."

"Why?" I cried. "I can't remember anything. I'm a hopeless cause! Why are you forcing me to stay here, when, to me, you're practically a stranger? Please, just tell me!"

"Because," he whispered desperately, "Because I love you, Sookie. When you love someone, you don't just give up, do you?"

I felt as though the air had been sucked right out of the room and I gasped for breath. He loved me? Sure, it seemed as though we had something wonderful together, but I'm clearly not the person I was before the accident. He still loved me, despite me not remembering a single thing about us? It was preposterous! I felt a fit of highly inappropriate laughter bubbling up inside me, threatening to spill out hysterically. Or maybe it was actually appropriate, to laugh at something somebody told you that seemed so silly? Still, I yanked my hands out of Eric's and covered my hands over my mouth. I couldn't say a word, I was speechless, so I just stared at him incredulously.

I could see, clear as day, that he was quite pissed by my reaction. I saw it in his eyes and the way his mouth tightened. He brought a hand up to rake his fingers through his slicked back hair. Not a single strand was out-of-place, but maybe that was an agitated habit he did, in the heat of the moment?

"Please, say something," he pleaded from his spot on the floor after a beat.

"What... what do you want me to say?" I whispered, in a low, trembly voice. "What the hell am I supposed to say in response to something so unexpected like that?"

He shook his head, and the agitation was back again.

"Is it really that unexpected?" he asked. "You saw the photos. You saw how we used to be."

I felt a swift kick in my stomach, as I thought back to the photos of us together, smiling and looking happy. But that was before. They were something I didn't know of anymore. It was too much, this entire conversation was too much, so I steered it off into another direction deliberately. "What happened after the accident? Can you tell me about that?"

After a moment, he nodded warily. He placed his hands on top of mine again, and even went so far as bending down to press a quick kiss into my knuckles. My head swarmed.

"You were taken to the hospital. You were in a coma for five days."

Right, I was in a coma. So that explained several things. I gazed down at him expectantly, waiting for more eagerly.

"They weren't certain how long it would take for you to wake again." He trailed his fingers up and down my hand lightly, his eyes clouding at the memory. "You had visitors. Your only living family, in your brother, Jason. Then there was your friends. Some that work with you, some I am not so sure how you met."

"My brother came?" I repeated, feeling touched.

"He did. There was also Sam, your boss from Merlotte's." Sam, I had no difficulty in remembering. I was very proud to admit I remembered everybody from work. Arlene Fowler. My best friend ever since high school Tara Thornton, and her cousin, Lafayette. Even Jason's best friend Hoyt Fortenberry. "There was also... Alcide." Eric's eyes frosted with anger at that, and I couldn't understand why. I had no recollection of this Alcide person, unfortunately, but it was obvious Eric didn't like the man. "And Bill," he added hesitantly, showing even more distaste. "And, of course, there was me. I visited you every night, when I could. I would sit by your bed, and I refused to leave your side, until Pamela demanded I did." Pamela was another name I wasn't all that familiar with. Gee, how many people did I not remember? "On the fifth day, you woke at six a.m in the morning, but they kept you in for a while longer to check on your progress. Then, when I woke, I came and got you when you were discharged. I brought you back here, your place of residence now."

"And how long have I been here?"

"A day and a half," he said, with some reluctance. "You slept soundless for a day. You only just woke a couple of hours ago. It is six-thirty right now. Sun-down."

"And the doctors told you it was a high possibility that I wouldn't remember you?"

He gave me a sad half-smile. "They did," he admitted, with a heavy sigh. "But I thought it would be best to keep you here, since you live here. This is your current state of address. I also thought there was a likelihood that this would make regaining your memories quicker."

"Well, obviously you thought wrong," I whispered. "I don't... remember, even with all those nice pictures you showed me. I... feel like I don't even know you."

"I want you to know me again," Eric said, very calmly.

"So that's why I'm here?" I asked. "Just for me to get to know you again, like old times?"

"Well, I..."

He appeared as if he was embarrassed. I was sure if he could, he would be blushing.

"I want us to be together again."

"L-like a couple?" I gulped.

Eric nodded solemnly. "As we were before. As lovers again."

I slipped up, this time around. I actually laughed.

"But what if things can never be as they were before?"

"I know it'll take time. It won't happen dramatically and suddenly," he said, and he reached for my hands again. "I'm not... delusional, despite what you might think of me. I know this will take time. Possibly even years, for me to gain your trust and affections again. But it is something I am willing to wait for. You loved me once, and I have confidence that I can make you love me again."

"Well, aren't you cocky?" I muttered.

"I have always been and I will always remain to be," he said, with a trace of humour. "I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I can't force you to remember, or pressure you into loving me again, like before. But, with that said, I have you here, exactly like before, and I fully have intentions to show you how great we can be together- in every way."

_In every way!_

"I know we have a lot more to discuss, but I believe it best we take it one day at a time. No doubt, you are already feeling overwhelmed, and I have somewhere I need to be." With some reluctance, I noticed, he stood up from his spot on the floor and stepped back from me a little, creating distance. "In fact, I am already late. Why don't you eat the meal I heated up for you and get into bed?"

My stomach flipped. Oh, boy. This was it. He would want sex now, wouldn't he? How could I not have realized this sooner? He wanted sex, or at least he expected us to sleep together, since the bed was made for two. But he had said that he wouldn't rape me, and in his twisted mind I bet he believed that, too. I had been so stupid to immediately believe him, though. All the iced tea, and the food he had gotten me, the revealing nightgown and all. Plus, his declaration of love for me. His mission to get me to love him and be with him again, like we were before in the photos. We had definitely had a sexual relationship back then. Would he try to get it back like that again?

"I'll be back in a few hours," Eric said with a stiff smile before he left out that door, completely unaware that I was on the dangerous verge of another anxiety attack.

_Oh, Jesus. He'll be coming back in a few hours for sex? I can't do this!_

My mind began hurling disturbing images of me and I wondered how he would make me do it. Would he make me undress for him or would he just think to hell with it and use his vampire strength to rip the nightgown from my body? Or would he try to be gentle or would he care if I cried and pleaded with him not to do it?

I wouldn't be able to stop him. I knew now that I wasn't strong enough to fight him off. God, if only I could read his thoughts and knew what he wanted from me before it happened in advance. It certainly would have brought me a bit of time.

I was stressing way too much. Maybe he didn't mean that he would be coming back to rape me? I didn't know at all just what he was intending to do with me, but if he was so obstinate on winning my affections again, surely he wouldn't force me into anything, right?

Determined to make the best out of this ordeal, I climbed back under the sheets and curled up, closing my eyes. I was too hyped-up to sleep. Though my eyes were closed, I kept my ears listening warily for that dreadful moment he made his return. I didn't know how long I laid there, dreading his return.

But when I heard that steel door being opened, I pried my eyes open and turned slowly onto my back so I could be sure what he was doing. He kicked the door closed carelessly with the heel of his shoe, and I noticed his hands were popping open the buttons on his shirt. My heart hammered away in my chest. This was it. He was getting naked and ready to rape me.

He pulled the tail of his shirt from where it was tucked in his trousers and then he turned to look at me. My stomach dropped and I felt tears prickling the corners of my eyes as I watched him approach the bed. He stopped to kick off his shoes, and then he sat on the edge. I kept my eyes glued on him and I refused to let them miss anything. One second of letting them linger had the potential of changing everything, and I sure as hell wasn't going to risk it.

Eric's eyes moved over my face and down my neck, stopping to rest on my shoulders that weren't hidden under the blanket like everything else of me was. He licked his lips, it seemed a hungry, sexual thing, and my stomach flopped again unpleasantly.

And then he brought his long legs up and rested his head against the pillow next to mine. I was dying to move away, but fortunately he didn't try to pull the covers down so he could get in next to me. He simply stretched out on top of the blanket, clasping his hands in front of his chest and leaving them there. He made no move to touch me. He merely turned his head to the side to look at me.

I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed nervously. What was going to happen now?

I felt the bed depress and I stiffened involuntarily. Then suddenly, I felt his lips on the side of my jaw line; the unfamiliar sensation made my body flinch, and he drew a line with them all the way down to the space below my earlobe.

"Sleep well, lover," he whispered into my skin. I felt him draw back immediately and then that was that.

I still had my eyes closed, and I was breathing raggedly, and clutching the covers for dear life. I was still expecting the worst.

"You are very tense," he observed, out of nowhere.

"I-I don't want to have sex with you," I whimpered. "Not now, anyhow. So... just... just don't, all right?"

I opened my eyes and peered over at him to see him looking stunned.

"Of course not," he said quickly. "I've never been a rapist, nor do I want to become one. I am always wanting sex with you, but never without your will beforehand. When it does happen, you will be wanting it, also. It will be consensual from both sides."

Relief flooded through me and I drew in a deep breath.

"So you're not gonna force me?" I asked, my relief showing.

"As I said, I've never been a rapist, lover," he said, his voice low with frustration. "Besides, it is five o'clock in the morning. I'll be dead in a few minutes. If anybody is doing the raping here, it'll be you."

"You'll be dead in a few minutes?" I repeated incredulously, my voice rising a notch. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He turned his head towards the ceiling and closed his eyes.

"I'm a vampire," he said, through hardly moving lips. "I'm supposed to be dead during the day."

"Why'd you put me in this nightgown and remove my panties?" I asked, because it was kind of still bugging me.

"You were wearing a hospital gown when I brought you home. You weren't wearing any underwear. I removed you out of the hospital gown, put you back in your favourite nightgown."

"This nightgown is mine?"

"It is. I thought it would be more comfortable for you in your old clothes."

I narrowed my eyes and I couldn't keep my expression neutral. I still didn't believe that one bit. "You better not have done anything to me," I said in a voice with stern warning.

His eyes reopened again. He turned his head to the side against the pillow to stare at me. His gaze drifted to my chest and I heard him swallow audibly.

"Your body has always been the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," he said softly. "Of course, I might have looked a bit. I couldn't help it. Old habits die hard."

My eyes snapped up to meet his, and his were seemingly darker with unbridled lust. It was the most terrifying thing in the world.

"You pervert!"

Something flicked across his face at that. Humour? Smugness? I couldn't tell what, but he sure didn't look offended one bit.

"The old Sookie is back again. I fucking love it."

**Hope you liked this one? Or hated? Feel free to let me know :-)**

**P.S: I apologize if Sookie is getting on people's nerves. She is just very distrusting of him at the moment, as she can't remember him. But she won't be that way for long, she's just going through a stressful period.**


	6. Understanding

**Thanks so much guys. Your responses made my day! I hope you enjoy this chapter! x**

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**Chapter Six**

I must have dozed off without realizing for a few hours, because when I jolted back awake with a start on the bed underneath the silky sheets, I was filled with terror, I was panting heavily, and I could feel hot sweat trickling down my forehead. I must have had a nightmare, although I couldn't understand what it was about, or what it's significance had been. I was driving along the highway, at dark. Next thing, a white figure had popped up in front of me on the road. It was a man, he had called loudly "Sookie," and then I swerved the car as not to hit the fellow, and I was racing off the road towards a tree, and then... that was it. He had a funny, old Southern way of pronouncing my name. ("Sook-eh.") How strange.

I rolled over slowly onto my back to face the dank and mouldy ceiling above me. I placed my hands on my forehead, while I attempted to calm down my breathing. Maybe that was what had happened to me, with the car-crash? Had I rammed straight into a tree? Was that enough to give you pretty bad head-trauma? And who was that man, who suddenly appeared in front of my car on the road? I was terrified by the vivid nightmare.

I turned to look at the Eric vampire. I was astonished that I hadn't woken him up, considering how much I must have been thrashing around in the sheets. But he didn't look awake at all.

He was still lying on top of the sheets; His hands drawn protectively over his chest and his fingers interlaced together. He looked very still, and peaceful. I couldn't even hear him breathing. He wasn't even snoring, no less: Which, I suppose, is a very good thing if snorers tended to keep you awake. But it was the fact that I couldn't hear him breathing that concerned me most. Who doesn't breath, while they sleep? Was he... dead?

Panic raced inside me. Was it possible for somebody to die in their sleep? I remembered him telling me he would be dead in a few minutes for the day, but... did vampire's really go that silent?

"Yoo-hoo," I whispered, attempting to wake him quietly. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't dead. "Are you still alive over there? I can't hear you breathing any?"

He made a gruff grunting noise. The panic left me immediately. _Phew, thank God! He hasn't died on me!_

"I'm supposed to be like this during the day," he murmured, in a slow, dreamy voice.

"But you're not even breathing?" I whispered, shocked.

"I don't need to breathe. I'm a vampire."

Well, hell. This really was going to take a lot of time to get used to. I didn't know where to start, on learning how to know this man again. There was just so many things I didn't understand, particularly about the way he lived, as a vampire. I still felt thunderstruck that I had actually chosen to live with a vampire in a house together, like this. It was unbelievable. I rolled over and propped myself up on one elbow so I could stare down at him curiously. How odd it was that he wasn't even required to breathe. I scrutinized his face carefully. I supposed he was the type of man I would have found attractive, in a purely physical sense, as shallow as that sounded. He sure was handsome enough to boot. But I knew nothing about him, I couldn't remember him at all, and it was the most aggravating thing in the world that I couldn't. Looks don't mean nearly enough as knowing a person inside and out, and understanding their personality and the way they perceive things.

"Tell me," I demanded hopefully.

"What?"

"Everything. I mean, you understand why I'm having trouble remembering you. But I'd really like to know how we met." I sighed sadly. "I'm awfully sorry about before, about jumping to conclusions and reacting the way I was. I'm sorry I thought you were gonna rape me. I can see now that you're not like that. I just- I can't really understand. This is real terrifying on me."

"You don't need to apologize, Sookie. I understand completely. You don't know what the fuck is going on, I get it." His voice was so low, it was barely audible. I had to really strain my ears to hear him. He sounded dazed and sleepy. I guess he really did sleep during the day, like he said. "I understand your fears about this situation, because I went through it myself. I felt the same way as no doubt you are feeling now."

"You did?" I asked, surprised.

"I did." His eyes opened with some difficulty, and he turned onto his side to meet my gaze. Our faces were pretty close, since our pillows were close together. But oddly enough, I didn't mind that like I probably would have before. I was far too interested in our story, and what he was trying to tell me. I knew now that it wasn't his intentions to harm me in any shape or form. He had now made it very clear on me. "There was a time where I did not remember who I was. I was under a witches spell, a curse. You found me by the side of the road, and without an ounce of selfish thought for yourself and your safety, you took me into your home. You cared for me, you helped me remember who I was and, because of that, I learned to love you."

I hummed softly to tell him to go on.

"That is why I can understand your situation completely. It was exactly the same way for me, and you took me underneath your wing. You supported me, when I was confused about my identity and who I was. It's partly why I had no qualms about doing the same for you. The doctors had told me there was a high chance that you wouldn't remember. But I had to extend the same courtesy, in trying to help you remember. You did exactly the same thing for me."

"Was this how we first met?" I asked, mightily interested. "I took you in, when you were cursed?"

"No. We met several years back."

"How long?"

"About three years ago." He smiled, and it was then that I saw his fangs that were extended below his top lip. I felt my breath hitch in my throat. I definitely felt like a girl meeting her first vampire all over again. "You came into my bar one evening, seeking answers on a few women that had been murdered. Those women were your colleagues, they worked with you at Merlotte's. They had been covered in vampire bites, and I suppose you assumed it would be helpful to enter Fangtasia for answers."

I arched my brows questioningly. "Fangtasia?"

"It is the name of my bar."

"It sounds like a ride at Disney World," I said, with a little nervous laugh.

His expression went deadly serious within a heartbeat. "No," he muttered softly. "There is nothing Disney World-ish about Fangtasia, Sookie." Apparently he felt real touchy about his bar. I took a mental note to never joke about it light-heartedly.

"So I met you there? Did we instantly hit it off, right from the start?"

"Quite the opposite," he admitted, with a trace of humour. "You came in with Bill."

_Bill._ There was that name again.

"Who is this Bill person?" I asked, a little frustrated. "Why do you keep on bringing him up?"

"He was your first boyfriend. He was a vampire, and he was... obsessed with you. Disturbingly so."

"Obsessed with me?" Gosh, that didn't sound too good. "So what happened next?"

"You asked your questions, and then you used your telepathy to warn us that a raid was about to be taken place. You saved my life that night, in a whole new way."

"So you knew I was telepathic right from the start?" I asked, surprised. Usually, I thought I would have been more cautious about who I revealed that to.

"I did. And you proved to be very advantageous. There were many times I employed you for your skills, and you had shown yourself as very beneficent."

Right, so practically he was saying he used me as his lap-dog because of my skills, at first? I had mixed feelings on that.

"But when did we finally get together?" I pressed, mostly interested in that side of it. I really wanted to know.

He peered deeply into my eyes for a few silent minutes. Then he sighed loudly and turned his gaze up to the ceiling. "I had been interested in you, right from the very start. Your useful ability was also a contributing factor to that. But, I also saw something within you that I very much liked." He let his eyes fall back onto mine again. "For one thing, I found you very beautiful."

I couldn't remember anyone ever looking me directly in the eyes and telling me I was beautiful. It made me flush, and I had to fight the urge to lower my head and avoid his gaze.

"But I think it was also the way we clashed, from time to time, that really held my interest." His lips twitched. "I can honestly say that there isn't many humans who would actively dare to defy me, but you did, on many occasions. You were feisty and argumentative, and you didn't bother with hiding your disgust in me. I found that very refreshing, as well as entertaining." I felt my face crumple in confusion. So I had hated him, at the start? "You also presented me a hard challenge. There is nothing very satisfying or rewarding in something that comes to you readily, and you put up a difficult challenge that I enjoyed, in winning you."

"So we hated each other at first?" It wasn't the kind of story I was expecting. I wasn't that naïve to believe it had to be all romance and sappiness, but it was surprising.

"No, I wouldn't say it was ever hate. At least, never hate on my side anyway," he said dryly, after a moment. "But eventually we had grown to be very fond of one another. And when you so kindly took me into your home, when I was confused and unsure of myself and my surroundings, it was then that I had fully grown to love you. It was a lot easier to be the real me, then. The defences I had put in place for myself were down."

"So we got together then?"

"At the end, when the witch was dead and the curse fell off me, you had your... reservations." There was a lot of hesitation in his voice. "You were confused, as you still held love for Bill, as well. But you also held newfound love for me. You couldn't decide, but then... one miraculous evening you decided to come back to my bar one night. You had told me you had accepted things were over with Bill, and that I was someone you couldn't get out of your mind easily, after everything we had been through while I were cursed. You said you knew that the softer side within me, the part of me you fell in love with while I was cursed, still existed in me, and that it was enough. So, we started what had transpired between us again, and you never looked back since."

"So we've been together for over a year now?"

"We have, yes. We talked about living arrangements, and we decided the best step forward was moving in together. We finally came to an agreement on this house." He waved his hand around the room for emphasize. "We had to make some readjustments, especially to this room. Because I cannot stand the daylight, we had to make sure the room was light-tight." Hmmm, that certainly explained why it was so dark in here, with all the plastic film covering the windows. "You had also told me that you would feel better about a vampire-human relationship had we slept in the same bed together, so that was the reason for all of this. You sleep on here, and during the daylight hours, while I sleep, you get up and go about your usual things. You go to work, get your shift done, then I rise, go to work, and then after all that is done we come back together in the evenings."

Finally, with all that, I understood somewhat how it was we lived normally. It didn't seem so outlandish now, that I had taken up with him. But his explanation also brought up several issues, namely my work obligations.

"Thanks for clearing it all up for me now," I told him, with a hesitant smile. "I think I can understand a lot more now. But, also, you must know I can't stay in this room all day with you. As you said, I've got places I need to be."

"Sam knows about your condition, lover," he said softly. "It was him who gave the go-ahead for you to take some time off work, to get your bearings right again. He was completely sympathetic."

"And I know he would be," I told him quietly. Sam was nothing but understanding, I knew that. "But I just... I'll feel better, if I can go about my day, like I normally do. I think it'll really help some, if I can get back into my ordinary day-life again. It'll be like starting over again, sure. But I know I need to do it in order to find myself again."

Eric's mouth flattened into a hard line, and he hesitated. Obviously he wasn't so keen on that idea of me jumping straight into work again. "The doctor also said, given how stressed you must already be, it would be unwise to place you in anymore situations that overwhelm you." His voice was hoarse, and he continued, after a beat, "I believe it would be best if you take a few days off. Surely, your boss wouldn't mind that, and would be completely sympathetic. The doctor also gave you some medication. He said it isn't unusual for you to suffer headaches after the trauma you've been through. They are near you, on the nightstand. Feel free to help yourself, whenever you need them. I wouldn't expect you to suffer and endure it, so please."

I didn't know what to say to that. I also didn't know what I was meant to do, if I couldn't get back to sleep. Was I meant to sit in bed all day, being unproductive? The day was already wasting away by the minute. But I guess, I could understand why Eric wasn't so keen on me doing anything too laborious. I had been through a big thing. He cared for me, I could really see that now. It was just going to take some time to get used to all this.

**Hope you enjoyed this one? At least Sookie is trying to be a lot more rational about things, and Eric is explaining a lot more to her. Thank you so much for reading, and I really loved your reviews and appreciated them. Please do keep 'em coming! xx**


	7. Trying to Refresh her Memory

**Hey guys,**

**I want to thank you all so much for your kind reviews and the alerts I've received. They make my day, and you're all so lovely. It's always a very huge surprise, because I think I'm a lousy writer, but it means so much to me that people seem to like the story so far. Thanks for the encouragement :) **

**Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this one, despite it's silliness haha!**

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**Chapter Seven**

I just didn't know what to do with myself.

I couldn't get back to sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I knew it was probably because sleeping during the daylight just wasn't my thing, unlike _some_ people clearly. Vampires slept during the day; I didn't, and I couldn't. I was far too restless. I had a million things on my mind and, also, at the same time, I was a bit reluctant to fall back to sleep again. I didn't want any repercussions of that strange dream I had before when dozing off.

Suppressing a sigh, I turned on my back again, risking a quick glance at Eric. The vampire was sleeping again, in the same position as before; Fingers interlaced over his chest, still dressed in his fancy charcoal grey suit, and all, but with the few buttons on his shirt open, and his long legs stretched out in front of him. He was just as still and quiet as before, too. But luckily now I knew he wasn't dead. He was just... sleeping. It was unsettling being near a guy who didn't make any noises while he laid on the bed near me, though. I wondered if it bothered me before, or if I had gotten used to it. Now, it just felt so strange and disturbing. He truly was like a corpse during the daylight hours.

How can somebody possibly ever get used to being in bed with a guy like that?

He reminded me of a corpse dressed in his best, laying in a coffin at a funeral, as creepy as that observation was to make. He just needed some pretty flowers scattered around him and some mourners to truly complete the look. I had to press my lips together to stifle a delirious laugh at that thought that came across me. I guess I was so bored by sitting around in bed that I was entertaining myself with any ridiculous thing that came into my head.

But after a few more droning minutes I didn't feel amused or entertained at all. No, I began to feel pissed.

All right, so the guy cared for me, which was very sweet. We had a loving relationship together, which I could not remember at all. I had gone through a terrible accident, and he was probably concerned about me and wanted to make certain I didn't place myself in any stressful situations I couldn't handle at the moment, which I could get to some extent.

But keeping me locked in here and refusing to let me leave? Making me have to try sleep when my body clock didn't work the way his did? Well, hell, it was enough to make me very pissed.

I was coming close to dying of boredom. I also could have done with some fresh air and sunlight.

I caught myself glaring at his face. I knew it was rude of me, but I just couldn't help it. I was extremely cheesed-off. Apparently he could sense my eyes on him. I didn't know how he could or why, but it was obvious he did. Though everything else on his face was eerily still, I caught the movement as his eyebrows rose.

"What?" He suddenly grunted out, through the tiniest parting of his lips. _Could you say creepy? Good gravy._

It took me an astonished second to get my head around that. How on earth did he know I was staring?

"Um, excuse me," I said, speaking very softly. I wasn't sure whether he was fully awake or not, or whether he was just sleep-talking, and I didn't exactly want to disrupt him too much. I didn't know what a vampire would do when you interrupted them from their daily sleeping sessions, and I wasn't exactly all that keen on finding out. "I'm not feeling very tired, and I can't just sit here all day in bed. I feel like I'm going crazy." To top it all off, I felt that familiar little nagging sensation in my lower abdomen. Nature calls again. "Also, I kinda need to..." I trailed off nervously, feeling way too embarrassed to say it, for some reason.

"What?"

Alrighty then. Obviously I was going to have to say it. "I, uhm... I have to use the bathroom."

"The keys are in my pocket."

Relief soured within me wildly. Thank goodness he wasn't expecting me to stay in bed all day. "Thank you," I muttered quickly.

Now I was faced with another dilemma, though, and that was working out which trouser pocket the keys were in. I felt uncomfortable about having to feel around, but sometimes you had to just do it. It was obvious he couldn't exactly move himself; Maybe he was far too deep into his sleeping to do it?

So sucking it up, I sat up slowly and reached out tentatively with my hand towards the pocket on my side closest to me. I kneeled over closer toward him on my knees, and much to my horror, the springs on the bed actually creaked on me. I cringed, and peered up at his face nervously. Just my luck, he was silent and still as anything. I took in a deep breath, and just went and did it, before I lost my nerve. I plunged my hand around inside his pocket, feeling around to find the keys, and they were some very deep pockets. I hoped he didn't start thinking I was trying to molest him in his sleep or something, because it was the very last thing I was attempting to do. Hopefully, he knew that as well. I almost very nearly shrieked, when I heard his voice. It was deep and husky, laced with fatigue.

"Whoops, no. Try the other pocket instead."

I felt my face flush with warmth as I did what he said. I was having no luck with the pocket I was attempting to fumble around in, searching, and I knew that for a fact myself. I had to slide a bit closer near him to reach the other trouser pocket furthest away from me. It almost meant I had to lean over him, so I held my breath while I stretched over. It was the most embarrassing thing in the world, I felt, and I wasn't sure why I was feeling so embarrassed the way I was. I was only simply searching for the keys to the door, after all. The other pocket was more of a success. I found the set of keys first instance I plunged my hand inside, and I sighed loudly in relief. Who knew doing something so simple as searching for keys on a person could turn out to be so nerve-wracking and stressful?

"Are you trying to feel me up?" he asked without warning, and I noticed a somewhat salacious grin playing on his lips. His eyes were still tightly closed, but that smile was very noticeable.

I pulled my hand back, clutching the keys so tightly they were digging into my palm. "God, no," I nearly shouted to the heavens, horrified that he would even begin to think such a thing of me.

It took me a belated moment to realize he was just playing with me; He wasn't being serious at all. Apparently although sleepy during the day, vampires still knew how to crack a joke or two.

"Ha-ha, very funny," I muttered lightly, once it settled in. "I'm going to go out into the bathroom now," I told him, just to warn him. I didn't know why it felt necessary to tell him, but I just did.

Without wasting any time whatsoever, I crawled off the bed and raced towards the door. I got it open, and out I went hurriedly. I remembered the door I had entered before to get into the bathroom- my recent memories I had no trouble with- so I opened it and closed the door on myself as gently as I possibly could.

I felt a peculiar sense of freedom, while I took my time and did my business. I had the keys now. I could decide to go in and out of that room, whenever I felt like it, and since he was dead and sleepy, I knew there wasn't a single thing he could do about it to stop me.

I eyed the bathtub as I flushed the toilet.

It seemed very tempting, and I couldn't recall the last time I had one. There was already a set of fluffy white towels on the rack across from it, so I made up my mind in running a nice and warm bath. I grabbed one of the towels and shook it out across the ground to lay it at my feet, and I bent over the big bathtub as I plugged the drain and turned the taps on. The bathtub was way bigger and luxurious than the one I had at home with Gran, and it was newer and more sparkling, too. I went back to plonk the toilet seat down and then I took some time in unbuttoning the cranberry red jacket.

I caught my reflection in the mirror above the sink and I hardly recognized myself. It was the oddest experience imaginable.

I looked a lot older, and I noticed there was a little raised bump in the centre of my forehead, along with a few sore-looking scratches here and there. I definitely looked like the car-crash victim that I apparently was. I felt terrible just looking at my reflection, so with some determination, I turned away from it and checked on how much water was filling in the bath. I couldn't wait to get in it and relax. It was funny how you take little things for granted, and only start to really miss things when something bad happens.

I folded the jacket and placed it on the toilet-seat, and then I stripped out of my nightgown and laid it out on top of the jacket.

As I climbed into the bathtub, ankle-deep in the water, I saw that I had bruises all over my legs as well. There seemed to be bruises and little scrapes everywhere I looked on my body, but I instantly forgot about them when I scooted down into the water. It was scalding hot, but after a few seconds my skin got used to the temperature. I turned off the running water and stretched out with a grateful sigh. There was nothing quite as good and relaxing as immersing yourself in hot water in a bathtub. It felt like months since I had ever had the luxury.

I felt a bit out-of-place, even though I knew this was my home now.

It was just strange knowing a vampire was somewhere in another room along the hallway, dead to the world. A pink-floral printed plastic curtain was hung around the bathtub, so I took great comfort in reaching over and pulling it closed over myself.

I didn't want the vampire Eric somehow waking and entering in to find me naked, as unlikely as that might have possibly been. I planned to spend a few good hours soaking in the tub, and I didn't want to be disturbed.

I pulled my knees into my chest and wrapped my arms around them, as I took the peace and quiet by myself to think everything through properly.

At least I understood now what my life was like, before the accident.

It was going to take a lot of catching up to do with everybody, though. While I knew it probably would have been best to take advantage of my freedom in running out of the house and trying to catch up with everybody to fit all the puzzle pieces together on what I was forgetting, it just seemed too exhausting to go through at the time being. I was more than content to just take it easy for one day and relax. That didn't mean I wanted to attempt sleeping, though.

Sleeping was the very last thing I wanted to do, especially considering it was probably daylight outside. I also wanted to take advantage of that, and feel the sun and fresh air on my skin again.

When my skin started to go all wrinkly from the water and the temperature started going cold, it was then I called it quits and decided to climb out. I pulled out the plug and my muscles would not obey me in standing for a few minutes, but fortunately after some slow coaxing, I managed to climb to my feet, gripping the white tiled wall for support.

My knees cracked loudly and when I flung back the shower curtain to one side, I noticed the bathroom looked a lot dimmer and darker without the lights on and the windows blocked.

It was impossible to judge the hour of the day or how long I had sat in the bathtub for, but I prayed it wasn't nightfall just yet.

I scrubbed myself with the towel and made sure my skin was dry before I slipped the nightgown back on. I couldn't see a hair-dyer anywhere I looked, so I just had to make do with towel drying my hair and just letting it air out on itself. I didn't know where to put the damp towel, so I just hung it back on the rack again neatly. It was like being in a strangers house and not being sure where everything went. It felt funny without underwear on, so I made it an urgent quest to go back into the room vampire Eric was sleeping in to find a pair to put on. I folded the red jacket over my arm and off I went back down the hallway, retracing my footsteps.

I heard an oh so quiet movement as I pushed slowly through the steel door back into the room, but I didn't think too much on it until it was far too late. I very nearly got the fright of my life. I had assumed it was still light out and that Eric would still be asleep and wouldn't be up, only he was. He was very much up, and doing his business.

He was halfway through pulling down his trousers past his knees and stepping out of them with his back to me, so obviously he didn't realize I was entering. I came face-first with his backside, and he wasn't wearing a shirt either. I stopped stock-still in the doorway, and even considered backing out the room hastily hopefully so he wouldn't notice me walking in on him. Only it was far too late. Either his hearing was that good for a vampire, or he just somehow sensed me intruding in on him getting naked, because I caught the muscles in his back stiffen and he paused dramatically with what he was doing. He turned to glance over at me from behind his shoulder and fortunately I had the preparation beforehand to close my eyes tightly to block everything out so it didn't seem as if I was being pervy.

I felt embarrassed and flustered, big time. I felt a huge rash spread across my chest and breasts over it.

"Goodness, sorry," I stuttered, keeping my eyes closed. "I didn't mean to walk in on you getting nude. I thought it was still daylight and you were still sleeping. Guess not."

"You can open your eyes now, lover."

Since he was giving me the go-ahead, I assumed it was safe and I trusted him. But when I dared to peek out of one eye, I felt the redness spread even further across my face. I felt like I was on fire with embarrassment. _Nope, he was still naked, but I got the full-frontal view this time. _I couldn't remember seeing a man naked before, so you could imagine how startling the experience was. It wasn't a bad sight, either. He had finely sculpted abdominal muscles, and very delicious V-lines around his torso area. Of course, he knew exactly what I was looking at, because he stared at me knowingly, but obviously that was his intentions all along in getting stark-naked in front of me: He wanted me to look. Gah. I closed my eyes again. He looked frigging air-brushed, for Christs sake!

"God," I gasped. "I thought you meant I could open my eyes now, and that you weren't naked anymore! I thought you meant it was safe to look and that you were in clothes!"

"It _is_ safe to look." He sounded completely nonchalant and careless. "You've seen me naked before. In _every_ capacity."

Yes, but I couldn't remember seeing him naked. Hello, amnesia and brain trauma victim right here!

"Well, I can't remember that, can I?" I mumbled petulantly. "Look, I'll just..." I turned to leave, because I knew it was the right thing to do. But when I turned blindly, feeling my way out the steel door, I got a very big surprise when my hands felt cold skin, instead of the wall or the door. _Had I walked the wrong way? Or did he just somehow... materialize in front of me in my way? _I didn't even need to open my eyes to know what I was touching. I could feel hair and two hard, flat nipples.

I gasped, just short of a shriek, and deliberately pulled my hands down to my sides, clenching them into tight fists. When I opened my eyes slowly, surely enough, my suspicions had been right; He had somehow popped up right in front of me, nude, blocking the doorway. _God, I had just felt up his chest!_

I was embarrassed, and horrified, and maybe kind of tempted to just touch him again. But I knew it wasn't right.

"What are you trying to accomplish by prancing around naked in front of me?" I asked, and my voice shook as I forced myself to meet his eyes and not look at anything else. It was a hard battle.

"Do you remember anything?"

I stared at him blankly, trying to keep my gaze solely on his face. My eyes were doing their job and working with me, thank goodness. "About what?"

"About this," he said, and for emphasize, I think, he ran his hand down his chest slowly, stopping just below his belly button. By accident, my eyes followed the movement. A very substantially sized, particularly private body part was saluting me. Apparently he was a very happy guy to get naked in front of me. I couldn't remember how to breathe. Was he seducing me, or what?

_Oh, he meant his body! His... body parts! Oh!_

"Um... not really," I choked out weakly.

"Do you want to get to know it again?" he asked hopefully, taking a step closer to me. Impulsively, I took a step backwards. Him being naked, with an erection, well, it was a little close for comfort. Also, a mighty some struggle for my eyes not to stray anywhere they shouldn't go. I was only human, after all. I was a young woman and, far as I knew, I loved the opposite sex.

"Um, maybe another day," I said hoarsely. "Perhaps another day when I... I feel I know you a bit more, like old times." I could see that he was dejected by that. He hung his head in defeat and sighed loudly through his nostrils, which was kind of sad. "Thanks for the offer though," I added, working to make my voice brighter for him.

"Well, it was worth a try," he said quietly after a moment, with a casual shrug. "I just wanted to see if this would refresh your memory on certain things we did together. I guess not." Just when I was starting to feel too bad for him, he suddenly said determinedly, while throwing a deviant wink my way, "Maybe it will the next time I get naked."


	8. A Date

**Hey guys,**

**I want to thank you all for your lovely and reviews and the alerts that I have received. They make my day. Hoping you enjoy this one :)**

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**Chapter Eight**

_"Maybe it will the next time I get naked."_

That comment left me with nowhere to go, conversationally, so shaking my head a bit to clear my hazy mind, I focused on my main objective of before: Getting into a clean and comfortable pair of underwear.

It was hard to ignore the fact that I was feeling particularly lusty at the sight of the man before me. It seemed he was exactly in the same boat, if his erection was anything to go by. But like a good woman with extraordinary self-restraint, I dodged and weaved my way over to the dresser where he had explained earlier that my clothes were in. Again, I had difficulty in finding a decent pair of underwear that wasn't lacy or suggestive. It seemed my normal self was heavily into thongs and racy undergarments. I guess my older self was also probably heavily into seducing this vampire she apparently was in a year committed relationship with. If so, I hardly blamed her. I had to be honest.

At least I knew I had wonderful taste in the opposite sex; As completely shallow as that observation was to make. Unable to resist, I chanced a quick glance over at the naked undead fellow who was apparently my vampire lover. The man's body was flawless. His butt was perfectly round and shaped, with no dimples whatsoever. The back of his legs were very muscular, too. No dimples or marks on those legs whatsoever. It was still hard to come to grips with, though; I knew I wasn't the greatest looking girl in the world. I had a few dimples and wobbly bits I wasn't so proud of. But I guess I had done exceptionally well in landing an undead guy who was utterly sin on a stick, if I do say so myself. He knew I was perving, of course. In a strategic move, he put one foot up on the bed, doing a little stretching move that made his erection spring up and become more obvious to me. _Goodness gracious_. He was watching me carefully to gauge my reaction to it so, quickly, I turned with resolve and started ruffling through all the clothes in the drawer, searching for some decent undies.

I felt flushed and hot all over, and I wasn't quite sure whether he knew how I was feeling himself or not. Was that an eerie vampire thing? They knew how we were feeling, most of the time. Or maybe it all came down to the art of studying your prey? Humans were like prey to vampires, weren't they?

I cursed under my breath quietly as I shuffled through all the thongs in the drawer. It was like G-strings galore in here. Why wasn't there any modest and comfy underwear in sight? "Uh, is there any underwear in here that isn't G-strings?" I asked him, horrified. "Why isn't there any normal pairs of underwear in here?"

"You like G-strings best, lover," Eric said. "Don't ask me why, but you just did."

How scary. The guy even knew what kind of underwear I loved wearing. Was there anything he _didn't know_ about me?

"So I guess that means I'll have to wear a thong, huh?" I asked, mostly talking to myself. He made a funny noise in response anyway.

Sucking it up, I found the least sexiest thong in there, which was still pretty out-there in my standards. It was red and had little frilly string dangling down the sides. I quickly slipped into them. Although they were still pretty saucy, I couldn't deny I felt instantly better. I closed the top drawer and started searching in the others for some decent clothes to wear. I decided to wear my favorite floral dress, which had a low neckline and it was white with gorgeous little yellow patterned flowers on it.

I found some comfy little peep-toe shoes, too, which I couldn't remember ever buying. They had a small heel and they had a cute little yellow bow on them. I wasn't sure what it was that I was bothering to get dressed for, but all I knew was that I was dying to get out of this room. I wasn't sure whether it was warm outside or not, so I decided to wear the red jacket Eric gave me over the dress to at least keep myself a bit warm in case.

I had a bad case of the nerves as Eric approached the drawer from behind.

Evidently we were the kind of couple who felt unashamed about getting naked in front of one another. I wasn't sure whether I could manage getting naked in front of him, but sometimes there were things you just had to do. Holding all the clothes and my shoes, I scuttled over to the bed and ignored his presence as much as I possibly could. I managed to strip out of the nightgown while ignoring him quite well, but I still felt very embarrassed. The G-string certainly wasn't doing me any favours. But, no doubt, the man had seen me naked before, so I tried to get past my embarrassment.

It wasn't like he was nervous showing his body off to me, so why should I be? It was easier said than done, though. I was halfway through sliding into the dress and readjusting the straps over my shoulders, when I heard his voice from behind me. His voice was low and uncertain.

"How would you like to go out on a date with me?"

I didn't know whether I was hearing him wrong or not. Vampires actually go out on dates then?

"Pardon me?" I asked, shocked. "Did you just ask me to go out on a date with you?"

"I did, Sookie, yes." I turned to look at him, and he was standing a lot closer to me than I realized. I made myself look up at his face, and strictly nothing more. He looked at me steadily with solemn eyes. "Here's the deal. I want my lover back. Getting naked isn't helping any, so I suppose I'll have to resort to other means, like courting you as if we have only just met. So... how goes that date?"

I was nonplussed. I didn't know what to say. Evidently the guy was real keen on winning me back and cultivating a relationship similar to the one we had before my accident. How could you not like that?

"So, you're asking me out on a date?" I asked, just to be totally sure. "With you? Right now?"

"Yes, right now. Of course, I just need to get changed. Something tells me nobody would like it if a customer waltzed into their diner naked."

I considered shooting him down. But with the way he was looking so hopeful, how could a girl refuse? "You know what," I breathed, smiling shyly, "Let's just go ahead and do that. I'm very interested to hear more about you, and about us, as a couple. In fact, you can give me a run-down on everything I've forgotten."

"Excellent." He didn't seem very enthused about the run-down part, but he nodded slowly to show it was a done deal. "Let me just go get changed, and then I'll come knock on this door." He pointed towards the steel door. "You can pretend this is the front door, I'm a stranger, and that I'm knocking to pick you up for the best date of your life."

"Uh, okay," I whispered, surprised.

With a very happy smile, he gathered some clothes. Then he ducked back over to the nightstand near the bed and took out the bunch of pretty white roses from in the vase. Since they were in water, water trailed in a line as he rushed out the room with them. I stared after him, feeling flabbergasted. Okay, so maybe I was also admiring his butt while he walked out, because it really was an incredibly nice view, I admit. Really, you had to admire a man who knew what he wanted and took it seriously, didn't you?

If this was going to be like an actual date, I found myself determined to treat it seriously.

I looked on top of the dresser, finding some make-up. I wasn't sure if the make-up actually belonged to me or not, but since when does a man wear it? It seemed it belonged to me, anyhow. It seemed the make-up I often loved to wear. A put on a little brown eye shadow, a little mascara, and even some of the lipstick that was there, as well. I even found the earrings I remembered my Grandmother got me for one of my birthdays, and I knew then, without a doubt, that all that make-up belonged to me. I slid in the earrings, and they were pearl drop ones. I had always thought they were classy and pretty.

My dress seemed suitable for a sort-of first date. It wasn't too much, in the cleavage department. It showed just a slither of my boob line, and a lot of my neck. But I had always loved the dress. It was my favourite. I had always felt comfortable in it, and although somewhat brain-damaged, I was very pleased to know my tastes in clothing hadn't changed any. Just as I was bending down to slide on the heels, there came a slow knock on the steel door. He didn't go ahead and enter, which was funny. He was obviously treating this like a real date himself, and he was expecting me to answer the door. So, working a bit to put a smile on my face, I did. I opened the door to him, and suddenly, it truly did feel as if I was going on my first-ever date with this man.

Seeing him dressed the way he was, I could see a bit why I liked him in the first place. He looked very hunky on the eyes, wearing a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar, with a black tuxedo jacket over it and some loose black pants. The flowers that were still dripping with water were also a very nice touch.

I pretended to be surprised by finding him standing there. It wasn't hard to act surprised though, because I think, deep down inside, I sort of already was. He looked me over in my dress, and for some reason, I felt shy and breathless as he made his approval known in sending a gruff sound my way.

"Oh, fancy seeing you here at my doorstep," I muttered, feeling unreasonably coy. I never was... coy. How weird. "I wasn't expecting you. What did you say your name was again?"

"Eric Northman," he said, with a lot of pride in his voice. He extended his hand, and without hesitation, I shook it. I never knew vampires shook hands, so it took me a bit by surprise. Then he handed me the flowers and I pretended to be real flattered. I sniffed the flowers, sighing over their sweet fragrance. I've always loved roses best. There really wasn't any need to ask how he knew that: It seemed he knew every little thing about me. "I have come here for our date."

"Excellent," I answered, and I rushed over to the vase to plop the flowers back in hastily. "Oh, and thank you for the flowers," I told him, belatedly remembering to be polite. "Roses are my favourite."

"Oh, sweetie. I know that," he muttered wryly under his breath. _And, of course he did._

He held his arm out to me, and I actually flushed. What was wrong with me?

I slid my arm through his, and off we went. I actually found myself eager and dying to get outside the most. That room was becoming a little stuffy on me. He showed me the way out, and I tried to remember it. We took the door on the left and there was a staircase that led up to upper floors. As we went up, it occurred to me slowly that the room we must sleep in together was the basement. How scary.

"We sleep in the basement?"

"We do. It's the safest room in all the house. Nobody knows where we sleep, but us."

"Right," I whispered slowly, trying to digest that. "And why is it safe to be sleeping in a basement?"

"It's safer for me. Mainly for me."

"But why does it matter?" I asked, still not getting it.

"We vampires have to be secretive about our sleeping locations," he explained, and much to my fortune, he didn't seem annoyed any with having to explain it all to me more thoroughly. "We are literally, literally dead during the day. It's hard to wake us. If somebody problematic knew about our location, they could easily come and attack us. That's why it is safer. I trust you to never stake me in my sleep, hence why I only feel comfortable with you sleeping in there as well." I guess I could understand that then. Heck, if I was a vampire, I don't think I'd like anybody knowing where I was dead for the day either. Especially not if it risked somebody attempting to kill you off.

"I guess that makes sense then."

I took a quick look around the house while we headed towards the front door. It seemed a lot bigger than my Grandmother's house that I used to live in, that's for sure. On our way to get to the front door, we walked through the kitchen area. All the furniture was fancy and modern; There was a long oak wood dining table, with four long-backed chairs, and the refrigerator was stainless-steel and huge. I could only just imagine how much food was in there.

"Do I use this kitchen?" It seemed a pretty silly question, but I couldn't help it. I was curious. I glanced at Eric's face nervously. He was peering down at me with a hint of a smile on his lips.

"Of course you do. I hate to admit it, but you're the chef, not me. I've never had to cook human food before, so you always liked to do it yourself. I'm extremely bad at cooking."

"So vampires really don't eat any regular food whatsoever?"

He raised his eyebrows at me. His light grey eyes burned into mine. "No. Never."

"What do you have instead then?"

I could tell that question unnerved him a bit. He looked quite embarrassed, and he turned his gaze away. "Actually, usually I have a drink of you," he admitted reluctantly, and I felt his embarrassment seeping into me as well. All right, then. So I practically let him feed on me? I'm often his food supply? "But usually, when you're not up for it, I drink True Blood, a substitute. It never tastes as good as your blood does. Frankly, it tastes like boring shit, but its enough."

"Is that something I do for you a lot? I let you have your fill of me?"

A slow grin spread across his face at something. "That, and plenty more," he muttered underneath his breath. "Let's go."

Outside, I noticed our yard was very big. We even had a porch that resembled my Grandmother's, too, complete with a garden swing. The yard was a lot bigger, though. Also, there was an extremely rich car in the driveway. It was a red convertible, a Corvette, with the top down. I didn't even know who it belonged to.

"Who does that car belong to?"

"Ah, yes." He sighed heavily as he looked out at the car himself. "That's my pride and joy." He sounded very proud of his car, I thought. Men and their cars.

"Well, she's very nice," I had to admit.

"Isn't she," he agreed jubilantly. He turned to lock the house up, and I waited obediently.

Once he was done, he turned and took my hand, holding it by interlinking his fingers through mine loosely. I felt the muscles in my stomach clench. For some reason, I wasn't expecting any kind of hand-holding gestures from him. But that was exactly just it: He was just holding my hand. It was no biggie, as far as first dates go. I had always believed hand-holding was allowable. Plus, we probably held hands all the time. Not that I remembered, of course. I didn't even feel embarrassed that he went out-right and did it boldly. I suppose I _did_ trust him now. I believed him, about us having a relationship together before. It was going to take some time, but hopefully, I would eventually get used to it. I made a funny little squeaking noise as I glanced down at our joined fingers. His hand was cold, and his fingers were so much longer than mine. I wasn't expecting it. You really could notice the contrast in body temperature.

"Gee," I laughed out unsteadily, still gazing down at our hands.

"What?"

"Your hand is real cold. I wasn't expecting that," I confessed breathlessly. I turned to gaze up at him through my eyelashes shyly.

He was staring right down at me quizzically, his head cocked to the side.

"Well, I _am_ a vampire."

I pressed my lips together to stifle another foolish laugh. "I know that," I said. "I know now that you're a vampire. I just wasn't expecting you to feel so... cold." My voice sounded breathy, amazed.

"Well, our body temperature is a bit different to the norm," he said, and that smile was playing along his lips again. "Usually you like that about me. Cold hands, warm heart. Or whatever the stupid saying is."

Once I finally got over the shock, I let him guide me to his fancy car. He let go of my hand to open the door for me, and I laughed again. It was obvious to me that he really was going out of his way to win me over. It was just so strange and sad, this entire situation. How must this be for him, to know the girl he was with didn't remember a single thing about him? How strange must it be, for him to play along with her and pretend as if they've only just met?

I fixed my dress and pulled it down my legs a bit more, so that he couldn't risk seeing the racy thong I was wearing, while I slid into the passenger's seat of his car. Still with that little smile on his face, he closed the door on me and went over to the other side. I was surprised by how spacious his car was. Although it looked small on the outside, it was very roomy inside. The leather seats felt real nice on my tush and bare legs.

He started his car and did an impressively quick manoeuver out of the driveway. I still didn't know what his plans were, so I felt very tempted on asking.

"Where are you taking me?"

He smiled over at me. "It's a surprise, lover." Somehow I didn't so much mind him calling me that name anymore.

"I'm a super huge fan of surprises," I told him lightly. He chuckled at that, and the sound was rather pleasing to my ears.

"Yes, the old Sookie was always big on surprises, too."

"I'm a little worried not to know, though," I added honestly.

"Oh, you'll find out once we get there. Don't worry."

Since I didn't know what else to say conversationally, I placed my hands in my lap and stared down at them. When I glanced over at him again quickly, I found his eyes were already on me. It was such a weird look; An almost hungry, dark look. Maybe he was hungry for my blood, and was already missing his fill?

"Is something wrong?" I croaked out nervously, meeting his gaze.

His eyes darted back and forth, from my lips, to my eyes. My lips, to my eyes, and back all over again. And then he closed his eyes quickly, took in a deep breath, gave his head a little reprimanding shake, and then reopened them to turn his eyes back onto the road. I was certain I could see the shining white tips of his fangs under his top lip.

"Everything is fine," he said gently, but his voice wasn't all that convincing. "This is just going to take some time to get used to. The fact that you don't remember anything, I mean. I keep forgetting and start thinking you're the old Sookie again. You're exactly like her."

**_Hope you liked this one? Or was it really really bad? Hope not. Thanks so much for your lovely responses to the story. They make my day! If you would like to see anything happen in the story, I'm very open to suggestions. :-)_** **I'm very sorry about how slow the pacing is. Things will pick up and more revelations will be had. Sookie will also tell Eric about her memory/dream of the accident. Thanks so much x**


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